Men’s Basketball News

Men’s Basketball

2023 CEBL U SPORTS draft reveal set for April 19

U SPORTS Staff

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that the 2023 CEBL U SPORTS Draft results will be revealed Wednesday, April 19 on CEBL.ca as well as through the league’s social media channels (@cebleague).

Representatives of all 10 clubs will convene through a virtual platform for the two-round draft prior to their selections being made public April 19. The order of selection will have the latest expansion team, Winnipeg Sea Bears, pick first followed by the reverse order of finish in the 2022 regular season standings.

“We are very excited for the fifth annual CEBL-U SPORTS Draft,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sports Officer, U SPORTS. “The CEBL partnership provides a unique experience for U SPORTS student-athletes to pursue professional careers on home soil while shaping the future of basketball in Canada. We look forward to watching phenomenal basketball across the nation this summer."

As was the case in 2022, draft-eligible U SPORTS players may have completed their university eligibility in 2021-22, or they may be returning to their university team this fall and be classified within the CEBL’s U SPORTS Developmental player program. They must qualify as Canadian, and they must have completed at least one full year of eligibility at their U SPORTS institution.

Order for Round 1:

  1. Winnipeg Sea Bears
  2. Montreal Alliance
  3. Calgary Surge (formerly Guelph Nighthawks)
  4. Edmonton Stingers
  5. Saskatchewan Rattlers
  6. Vancouver Bandits
  7. Ottawa BlackJacks
  8. Niagara River Lions
  9. Scarborough Shooting Stars
  10. Brampton Honey Badgers (formerly Hamilton Honey Badgers)

Order for Round 2:

  1. Brampton Honey Badgers
  2. Scarborough Shooting Stars
  3. Niagara River Lions
  4. Ottawa BlackJacks
  5. Vancouver Bandits
  6. Saskatchewan Rattlers
  7. Edmonton Stingers
  8. Calgary Surge
  9. Montreal Alliance
  10. Scarborough Shooting Stars

The 2022 CEBL U SPORTS Draft Class saw elite U SPORTS talent play and train alongside top CEBL professionals with experience playing in premier pro leagues from around the world, including the NBA, NBA G League, and top international FIBA leagues. Notably, first overall pick David Muenkat (Scarborough Shooting Stars) went on to become the U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team All-Canadian in 2022-23 while leading STFX to the U SPORTS national championship finals. Aiden Warnholtz (Ottawa BlackJacks) and 2021 CEBL U SPORTS Draft pick Grant Shepherd (Niagara River Lions) won the 2022-23 U SPORTS men’s basketball Final 8 Championship with Carleton University for a second year in a row. Warnholtz was also named First Team All-Canadian and given U SPORTS national championship game MVP honours.

“Our U SPORTS Draft produces tremendous talent that showcases the depth of Canadian basketball and our university programs across the country,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “The 2023 Draft will see another twenty homegrown superstars get the chance to play alongside top elite professionals this summer as the CEBL enters its fifth and most exciting season yet.”

2022 CEBL U SPORTS Player of the Year, Thomas Kennedy won the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy and won the OUA Player of the Year award in 2022-23 after averaging 20.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game with the University of Windsor. Kennedy was also named to the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team for the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers this past November. He was named to the 2022 CEBL All-Canadian Team after leading his Fraser Valley Bandits in rebounding (8.3) and field goal accuracy (.636).

About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps last October. The 2023 CEBL season tips off May 24 with the Brampton Honey Badgers visiting the Ottawa BlackJacks in a game that will be nationally televised on TSN. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.